Minimbah State School

Location: Morayfield, Queensland

Minimbah State School has a stable enrolment of around 800 students. A high number of students are from low-income backgrounds. 40 students are Indigenous, and approximately 30 students are from non-English-speaking language backgrounds. Minimbah has a special education unit which caters for approximately 40 students with disabilities, who participate fully in regular classroom learning with support.

How Minimbah State School has used its Gonski funding

Minimbah received $217,770 in Gonski funding for 2014 and $270,970 in 2015.

The new funding has been invested in improving teaching and learning with a particular focus on strategies designed for students experiencing educational disadvantage.

The reading program across the whole school is now supported by improved literacy training and professional development for all staff and more quality learning resources. Within the classroom,

students who are struggling receiving greater intensive support, and there is increased specialist provision of early intervention occupational therapy, speech pathology and services for students with hearing and vision difficulties.

How Gonski funding has made a difference for students

The additional Gonski funding has enabled Minimbah to make significant steps in meeting its objective of improving literacy. Principal Sean Bennett says that “this is the first time we have had the resources to implement a full program to improve literacy … the amount we actually need to meet the needs of the students, rather than some extra funding for a one-off program that won’t cover demand.”

The literacy program specifically targeting reading for Prep to Year 3 is producing impressive results. Within six months of the reading program starting students were recording between nine months and two years of progress, with the greatest improvement in Years 1 and 2. Student engagement has improved and there has been the additional benefit of greater parent engagement in the school through their enthusiasm for the results of improving reading program.

What Minimbah SS could do with Gonski in the future

The full six years of Gonski funding would allow Minimbah to maintain and extend the improvements which have been made in students’ literacy and a greater focus on improving numeracy across the school. In addition, Mininbah would be able to provide greater support for older students who are struggling with literacy and numeracy and at risk of falling behind.

Yarrabah State School is a three campus Pre-Prep to Year 10 school in the Far North Queensland community of Yarrabah. The community faces complex inter-generational challenges including high unemployment and families living in poverty.

Milton Public School, a K-6 school on the south coast of NSW, has an enrolment of 650 students about half of whom are from low-income backgrounds. Around 40 students are from non-English-speaking backgrounds, and about 5% of the students are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

Windaroo State School in the Mount Warren Park area of Logan City has an enrolment of around 930 students. A significant number of students are from low-income backgrounds. Approximately 50 students are Indigenous and 80 students are from non-English-speaking language backgrounds.